Minnesota Bests Bulldogs at Subway Classic

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - The Bulldogs got 15 points and nine rebounds from junior forward Haywood Wright and a game-high 19 points from junior Melissa Colborne, but the host Minnesota Golden Gophers defeated the Yale women's basketball team on Sunday afternoon in the championship game of the 2008 Subway Classic, 87-63. Wright and Colborne were both selected to the All-Tournament team.

With the loss, Yale falls to an even 2-2 on the season. Minnesota improved to 4-1 after a pair of wins this weekend.

"Minnesota is a strong, physical team," said Chris Gobrecht, the Joel E. Smilow, Class of 1954 Head Coach of Women's Basketball, "and they really wore us down."

The Bulldogs fell behind early, as Minnesota netted the first nine points of the contest en route to building an 11-2 lead at the first media timeout. Yale hung tough over the next stretch of action, as the advantage shrank to six points at 18-12 with 11:46 remaining in the first half. The Bulldogs battled to eventually claim a lead at 23-22, their first of the day. The teams traded baskets, as the margin stayed within four in either direction, and Yale entered halftime trailing by one point at 35-34.

Wright led all players in the first half with 12 points. She also hauled in seven rebounds, sharing the half high with Minnesota's Jackie Voigt. Colborne netted eight points in the opening stanza, and Gobrecht contributed five. Emily Fox and Kay Sylva led the Golden Gophers with eight points apiece.

Yale got off to a slow start once again in the second half, as the Golden Gophers scored the first seven points of the stanza to push the score to 42-34 and force Coach Gobrecht to call a timeout. A jumper by sophomore guard Yoyo Greenfield with 17:46 remaining ended the scoreless drought, but the Minnesota lead held up and grew as large as 27 points as the Bulldogs fell by a final score of 87-63.

The Golden Gophers were led by 17 points and seven assists by Fox, who was named Most Valuable Player of the tournament. Ashley Ellis-Milan netted six points and a game-best 11 rebounds. Voigt and Katie Ohm each netted 15 points, and Sylva was the fourth Gopher in double figures with 12 points.

The Bulldogs defeated North Carolina State in day-one action of the Subway Classic, while Minnesota downed American.

"This was a good learning experience," said Coach Gobrecht. "Playing hard two days in a row is what the Ivy League is all about, and this weekend was good preparation for that."

The Bulldogs will be back in action next weekend in Brooklyn, N.Y. for the Courtyard LaGuardia Turkey Classic host by Long Island University. Yale squares off with Southeastern Conference opponent Kentucky on Friday, Nov. 28, and will face either New Hampshire or the host Blackbirds on Saturday, Nov. 29.